


Now Confusion Is Oh So Clear

by Milionking



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Big Brother Knows, Coming Out, F/M, First Meetings, Gay Panic, Getting Together, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-07-31 08:55:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20112463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milionking/pseuds/Milionking
Summary: Jamie has a new teammate that oozes sex.  Jamie now has to deal with it.ORThe 5 times Jamie had a gay crisis and the 1 time he acted on it.





	Now Confusion Is Oh So Clear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alocalband](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alocalband/gifts).

> For the NCIS fans, this title is from the song Ziva sings in an episode, Cote de Pablo's "Temptation".
> 
> If you don't know the song, you have to watch it! I was straight for 3 minutes!
> 
> [Check it Out](https://youtu.be/ztKGsjeZuSo)
> 
> Thanks to Demi for the beta on this and the exchange mods for the great amount of time organizing this!

“Jamie and Lindy thank you for coming,” Jim ushers in the large player and coach ushering them to seats at the round table in the corner around the phone. Jim dials the phone, Peter answers.

“So, we would like to give Seguin a change of scenery, he isn’t quite the type of player that fits with our play,” Peter starts. “And to be honest Peverly needs to come along, he’s Tyler’s keeper here.”

The trade negotiation begins.

Jim sighs, “So how many do you want in return?”

Peter ponders, and whispers are heard on the other side of the phone, “Four prospects possible for you?”

“I think we can find four you’d accept,” Jim volleys. “Do you have a preference?”

Peter shuffles a few papers loudly, “Morrow and Smith for sure.”

Jim accepted those and added, “Eriksson and Fraser?”

Over the phone you can hear Peter reading stats sheets aloud, “Sounds like a deal. I’ll sign it and email it over.” Peter concludes the conversation, “Seguin is a bit of a party boy though, might want to make sure you keep an eye on him.” He hangs up and dial tone is heard on the other end of the line.

Jim hits a button to shut the phone off. He leans back and looks over at Jamie, “Benn there’s a vacancy in your building isn’t there?”

“Serious Jim, you want me to babysit him?” Jamie whines.

“Not quite what I want to hear as our prospective captain,” Jim chastises. “What I would expect you to do is welcome him to Dallas, invite him over for dinners, and make sure he feels comfortable and welcome here.”

Lindy nods then mentions, “Look, no player wants to get traded. He can be little less visible here and that might be good for him too.”

**

Jamie hates DFW. If he were honest with himself, he hates any place that has to do with planes. Jamie flat out hates flying at all. He stands outside the security exit for Tyler’s gate, the flight from Boston should have landed an hour ago, but it is Dallas and one of its infamous popup severe thunderstorms has struck the area.

Jamie grabs a coffee at the coffee stand. It definitely isn’t his normal brew, so he chokes it down slowly to pass the time. An announcement that Tyler’s flight landed echoes through the terminal; his nerves start to hit. He starts pacing in a track; if it is too much longer he’ll wear a hole in the floor. He takes another sip of airport coffee and swallows it hard when his phone chimes.

**Tyler: Just got off at gate A-29, where are you at?**

**Jamie: At the security exit by the Cowboys shop on your side.**

**Tyler: Got it, see you in a minute.**

Tyler comes walking out of the security exit 10 minutes later with a cheesy grin and a Stetson hat with the Cowboys star emboldened on the front. Jamie rolls his eyes as he walks up to Tyler.

Jamie greets, “If I’d known, I would have brought your Stars merch with me.” He shakes Tyler’s hand, “Jamie Benn, welcome to Dallas. We can head out to my car. My brother should have lunch ready when we get to my house.” Jamie grabs Tyler’s luggage in hopes he’s being a good host.

Jamie texts Jordie that he is on his way back from the airport. He starts the car to get the air conditioning started when Jordie chimes back that he’s starting lunch.

They get to Jamie’s building; the doorman tips a cap at the pair of hockey players. Jamie stops at the concierge desk to pick up the keys to Tyler’s apartment.

Lunch with Jordie is lighthearted. Jamie learns about Tyler’s dog, Marshall, who is still in Boston. He’s lucky they set him up in a building that allows dogs. After some burgers and sweet potato fries, Jamie sets up the PlayStation for Mario Kart; letting Tyler win several races until Tyler calls him out for it.

Jamie offers a hand to help Tyler up from the couch, “Ready to see your new place?”

“Sure Jamie, thanks,” Tyler deadpans grabbing Jamie’s hand and lifting himself up. Whatever happiness Jamie had built in Tyler over the last few hours, is lost.

Jamie hands Tyler the keys and guides him one floor down to the two-bedroom apartment. It’s generic and plain. Jamie tells him that dinner is at 7 and that they’re headed out for BBQ.

**

Jamie’s phone wakes him the following morning. It’s Jim; this can’t be good at 8am.

“Benn, I need you and Tyler in my office in 10 minutes. Go get him and get over here,” Jim barks then the line goes dead.

As Jamie waits for the elevator, he opens the news to see what happened.

The headline reads, “Seguin Makes Texas-Sized Twitter Gaffe”

“Fuck,” Jamie mutters under his breath. The bell dings, the doors open, and he enters the elevator.

Tyler opens the door his eyes are puffy and blood shot. Tyler ushers in his new captain.

“I fucked up already Jamie,” Tyler admits somberly.

Jamie guides Tyler to the sofa and sits him down. Jamie offers to start the conversation, “What’s going on Tyler?”

“I… I… I tried to be who I am and it backfired,” Tyler sobs. “I’m so fucking getting re-traded.”

Jamie reads from his phone, “’Only steers and queers in Texas and I ain’t no cow?’ Is this a feeble attempt of coming out?” Jamie’s voice is stern and gravely. Tyler buries his face in his hands, his body quakes indicating more tears have begun flowing from his eyes.

Jamie starts to sweat thinking he fucked this up, he’d heard rumors from some of the Bruins team members. He tries to rescue the situation, “I mean I heard rumors you are gay, but I didn’t think they were credible. I’d seen you dancing with women on Instagram.”

Tyler nods and sobs out, “Bi… actually.” 

Jamie sits down next to Tyler, gently placing his hand between Tyler’s shoulder blades and rubbing gently. “Look Segs, your secret is safe with me, okay. Let’s go meet with Jim and smooth this over. I promise Dallas isn’t going to trade you. Besides, if they do, they’ll have to trade me too. I will not support a team that won’t support you,” Jamie reassures.

Jamie lifts Tyler’s head and pulls him into a hug.

“We good?” Jamie asks into Tyler’s shoulder.

“Yeah Benny, let’s go do this,” Tyler sighs. 

**

“Tyler that was a bullshit move you did on Twitter last night,” Jim scolds. “I expect my players to act with more tact in public, understood?”

Lindy tries to soften the blows from the GM, “Look Tyler, what exactly did you mean by that tweet?”

Jamie places his hand gently on Tyler’s shoulders and whispers in Tyler’s ear, “It’s okay if you still want to keep your secret.”

“Benn, what the hell is he hiding?” slips from Lindy’s mouth.

Jamie brings on a serious look, “I don’t violate anything a team member tells me in confidence,  _ coach _ .”

“Jamie if this is going to affect Tyler’s play, we need to know,” Jim reinforces.

Tyler looks back at Jamie then looks at his new management, “Promise I won’t get re-traded if I tell you why Boston unloaded me?”

“Look your life off-ice is not my concern as long it doesn’t find its way on ice,” Lindy comments. Jim nods his agreement.

Tyler lets out a deep breath, “Look, I’m bisexual okay?”

Whatever Lindy and Jim had been expecting, it wasn’t that as they were rendered speechless. Jamie decides to take over the meeting.

“Look, I will make sure this revelation doesn’t affect the team, the locker room, or Tyler’s personal life. You guys gave me that assignment when we took on Tyler as a player, and I plan to uphold that promise,” Jamie says in a captain’s voice.

“Thank you, Jamie,” is all Jim can manage to spit out.

Lindy turns to Tyler, “Look, stay off socials for a few days while PR smooths this over.” Tyler nods his agreement.

“If that concludes everything, Tyler and I have a training appointment and a lunch date with Jordie,” Jamie stands to leave.

“Thank you, gentlemen,” Jim says dismissing the pair.

**

“I don’t recall a training appointment today,” Tyler comments as they walk back to their condo building.

Jamie sideyes Tyler. “There isn’t, I made it up to keep them from prying. Besides, I have a bit of a surprise for you,” Jamie comments as they walk up to the door for their condo building.

The doorman allows them in, Jamie turns to him, “Have my guests arrived?”

“Yes, sir,” the doorman replies, “they already upstairs, sir.”

Jamie slips the man a Benjamin, “Thank you, Ralph.”

Ralph folds the bill and adds it to his pocket. Tyler looks on as the money exchanges hands, noticing the oddly large tip. He furrows his brow trying to figure out what Jamie’s surprise.

“What was that all about?” Tyler asks after pressing the elevator call button.

Jamie smiles, “You’ll see.” He presses the button for Tyler’s floor.

“Umm aren’t you up a level?” Tyler inquires.

Jamie simply repeats himself, “You’ll see.” He grins and gives Tyler a side eye.

**

“Wifey!” Brownie exclaims after Tyler opens the door. He has Marshall with him, the dog runs over to his dad. Tyler straddles the labrador and bends down to rub the dog’s chest. After planting a kiss on the top of Marshall’s head, Tyler turns to Brownie and pulls him into a hug.

Tyler smiles for the first time since yesterday. 

Jordie brings them lunch an hour later and once they’ve all eaten, he motions for Brownie to follow him to the television, so they can play Mario Kart. Tyler and Jamie are left alone at the table sitting opposite each other. 

“You wanna show me around the neighborhood?” Tyler inquires. “Marshall probably needs a short run.”

“Yeah, let me go change in to some running shorts and I’ll be down in a jiffy,” Jamie replies with a smile. He takes his leave and rushes back faster than Tyler had expected, he didn’t even have time to get Marshall ready to leave.

“So, there’s a pretty trail that goes for miles that’s only a couple of blocks away,” Jamie mentions stretching out his legs. “It’s safer if we walk there until we’re on the path though since we have to cross a few streets.”

Tyler shrugs as he hitches Marshall’s lead and they head out the door. “You’re the native, I trust you.” 

The run takes them through a tree-lined path that used to be a railroad track. The fresher air and movement calm Tyler. He could do without the heat, though; 98 degrees is a little more than his Toronto-raised body is acclimated to.

They arrive back at Tyler’s apartment and Tyler excuses himself for a cool shower to remove the excess heat off his body. He walks out of his bathroom in boxer briefs to head across the hall to his bedroom. Jamie catches a glimpse and is instantly distracted.

Jamie quietly has his first gay crisis in that living room. Jamie re-fixes his gaze on the floor while Tyler whistles in the bedroom throwing on shorts and a polo. Jamie hopes a hole will open up in the floor and swallow him up.

Jamie is shaken back to reality when Tyler comes out of the bedroom. His heart was racing so fast that he couldn’t hear Tyler pad through the condo. Tyler touches Jamie on the should which startles him back to reality.

“I’m headed back to my cabin outside Toronto tomorrow, I’ll be back before training camp,” Tyler announces.

“That sounds beautiful,” Jamie responds with a little longing in his voice.

“The time I spend on my boat fishing is what I need to relax from the trade,” Tyler mentions confidently.

“Good call, we’ll be here when you get back. Jordie will make sure a salmon dinner is ready for you,” Jamie grins.

**

Tyler arrives back in September a little earlier than promised. His friend and teammate Rich had informed him that he had to have heart surgery.

Tyler spends the night before Pevs’ surgery sitting on Jamie and Jordie’s couch. His hands are trembling, and Jamie spends most of the evening trying to calm his new teammate’s nerves. 

Jamie tried everything to calm Tyler down. He fed Tyler his favorite comfort food pizza, they played multiple rounds of Mario Kart (Jamie even let Tyler win the first two dozen rounds). Jamie even tried several hugs, alcohol, and soothing talk about how everything will be fine. 

Jamie lets Tyler take over the chaise portion of the sectional and provides him with warm blankets. Jamie took the other section of the couch, just to keep an eye on him. Tyler tosses and turns for several hours, sleeping fitfully until it was time to get up to head to the hospital. 

**

Jamie and Tyler arrive at the hospital with just in time to walk in with Rich and Natalie.

“Hey Rich, Jamie Benn,” Jamie starts holding out a hand to shake Rich’s. “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to welcome you to Dallas personally.”

Rich smiles, “Seriously, it’s cool. I was off the grid, I didn’t even know I was traded until weeks later when I got back into cell phone range. It is nice to be here, and I see you have already acclimated Tyler.”

Tyler laughs, “Still haven’t gotten used to this heat.” They call Rich and they walk back to a pre-op stall shutting the curtain while Rich changes into his hospital gown.

The nurse gave Rich his pre-anesthesia medications. It turns out to be a truth serum for Rich turning to Jamie slurring, “Tyler told you his secret right? Why Boston sent him here?”

“Yeah,” Jamie chuckles nervously.

Rich sucks in some oxygen through the cannula then exhales, “Just take care of him okay, I won’t be able to mentor him much this year until I recover from this.” Rich sounded monotone and resigned to the fact this is probably his last season.

Jamie offers a hand and feels the power shift, “I will take great care of Tyler.” Rich shakes his Captain’s hand. With that action, Jamie is now Tyler’s mentor.

**

Jamie’s second gay crisis starts in his coach’s office.

“Jamie, Tyler will be rooming with you on the road this season,” Lindy commands.

“I thought as captain I finally get my own room,” Jamie groans.

“That was before we found out that Tyler needs a guiding hand. You are a Boy Scout compared to the rest of the team,” Lindy acknowledges.

“Coach, do I really have to do this?” Jamie whines.

“Yes, Jamie we picked you to lead this team. It is time to buck up and be the leader you were destined to be,” Lindy coaches.

Jamie covers his eyes with his hands, “Okay.” Jamie sucks in a deep breath and lets it out in a loud huff. 

He stands up and walks out the door and heads to Love Field to catch his flight with the team to Winnipeg.

The flight was uneventful, Tyler took the aisle seat so Jamie could look out the window. He whips out his phone make a quick vid for Instagram and included Jamie in it.

They walk into their hotel room, Tyler grabs a pair of boxer briefs and pads into the bathroom to take a shower and wash off the grime of travel. Jamie lays on his own bed watching a movie on his iPad waiting for Tyler to finish before falling asleep.

Tyler comes out of the bathroom wearing nothing but that pair of boxer briefs. Jamie watches as Tyler’s chiseled chest, tattooed sleeves, and supple toned ass in black boxer briefs passes by his bed. Jamie can feel his cock swelling. He closes his eyes and reminds himself that Tyler’s just a friend and teammate. He fails miserably as the image of Tyler’s mostly naked body fills the dark screen of his eyelids.

Jamie hits the lock button on his iPad, setting it on the bedside tablet and rolls over and falls asleep to dreams of everything he wished he could to do Tyler.

Jamie wakes up, faking sleep while Tyler putters around the room. His morning wood from the vivid dreams is so painful. Jamie waits for Tyler to finally leave for breakfast before leaving the bed. He walks into the bathroom, turns on the shower, and pumps out a load in the warm water. He comes down from his orgasm and slams his fist at the wall in frustration of the things he knows he can’t have.

**

Tyler sets Jamie up for his third gay crisis in the form of a woman. 

He sits in the bar, high after a shootout win against San Jose. It’s just a week after Tyler had tempted him to act in Winnipeg.

Tyler strolls back and hands Jamie a beer bottle with a grin, “That blonde over there is hot for you, Jamie. You should go talk to her.”

Jamie would rather be sitting next to Tyler and enjoy the emotional high, but he goes and sits with her for a bit. He leaves with the woman vaguely remembering her name, Katie.

After they leave the bar and walk halfway back to the parking garage two blocks over, he turns to her, “I need it to look like I picked you up, but I’m really not that attracted to you. Can we just hang out sometime?”

Katie smiles, “Sure, I’d like a guy friend that doesn’t want to jump my bones. Let’s just go find a 24-hour coffee shop and talk about what you just admitted.”

“Wait! What?” Jamie shouts in confusion the color drains from his face and he starts sweating in the cool night’s breeze. His heart is beating so rapidly he can hear his own pulse.

“You’re having a gay crisis on your teammate. It’s written all over you,” Katie admits. “Here,” she hands him a handkerchief from her purse so he can wipe the sweat from his brow.

“Fuck! I’m screwed, aren’t I?” Jamie murmurs.

Katie gives off a warm smile, “No, you two need to talk some time though.”

Jamie follows Katie to the coffeeshop and they talk late into the early morning and end up exchanging numbers.

**

The fourth gay crisis comes again in the form of a woman. This time it’s Tyler’s “woman of the week”.

“They’re just easier to hide the other side of me,” Tyler notes. He then continues, “We should do a double date, bring Katie! We can go to Papadeaux.”

Jamie rolls his eyes to the sky but agrees to the date.

He picks Katie up a couple of days later on an off-night. They drive out to Ft. Worth where Tyler found his new favorite seafood fetish place. He parks next to Tyler and gazes into the car, his eyes fixed on Tyler’s car. Tyler is laughing and they’re both seat dancing to Mike Stud’s new CD. Jamie’s lips turn into a frown and his eyes narrow to the point his eyebrows almost meet.

“You’re jealous she has him and not you,” Katie says. “I can see it written on your face.”

Jamie turns to her, “It’s that obvious isn’t it.”

Katie presses him, “When are you going to do something about it?”

“That’s my teammate we are talking about!” Jamie exclaims with his teeth clenched.

Katie’s shrug is eerily similar to Tyler’s indifference pose, “Yeah, so?”

Jamie slams his head against the head rest. “What if we get too close? What if he’s traded again? What if I’m traded? What if he doesn’t feel the same way I do? Do you realize how fucked up things could become?” Jamie starts hyperventilating huffing out each question.

Katie gives her warm disarming smile. “How long has that been bottled up inside you?”

Jamie closes his eyes and confesses, “Since he admitted that he’s bi to me.”

“We’ve had this talk before, Jamie. You need to talk to him, the more you bottle this in, the worse it will make things at home, on the road, and on the ice,” Katie counsels.

The whole time they eat dinner the jealousy just brews inside him. Jamie stabs at his fish and shovels it in his mouth. His gaze is trying to burn a hole through Tyler’s date. Some girl whose name Tyler won’t remember next week is sitting next to his man and sharing his plate of salmon. Katie monitors Jamie to make sure he doesn’t do anything rash.

**

Jamie’s fifth gay crisis fucks him up the most. He’d walked into the hotel room to the sight of Tyler being eaten out by some random dude. Embarrassed, he closed the door quickly and bolted to Jordie’s room.

Jordie was prepared for Jamie’s visit; he saw Tyler bring a dude back to the hotel. He lines up several little bottles of whiskey from the minibar on the table in the corner by the window and empties them all into a highball glass with a dash of ice to cool down the liquid heat.

“Want to talk about it? I already know,” Jordie says, handing Jamie the glass.

Jamie takes a couple of gulps of the hard liquor. “Tyler was getting fucked by a dude when I walked in.”

“And you’re jealous it wasn’t you doing the fucking,” Jordie rephrases Jamie’s sentence.

Jamie mumbles, “Something like that.”

“Possessive much?” Jordie chastises.

Jamie becomes frustrated, “I was told to be his keeper. How the fuck did I know I would fall in love with my new bestie?

“Well you’ve bottled that up!” Jordie counsels. “But you’ve been told that before.”

Jamie looks up at his brother, “How do you know that?”

“Katie told me,” Jordie reveals. “So, when are you going to act on it? When it fucks up your play so bad they strip you of your ‘C’?”

The alcohol takes hold after the fourth sip. Jordie refills the cup with several more bottles while Jamie sits in the chair crying.

Jordie prepares the other bed in his room and guides Jamie to it. He strips Jamie of his clothes neatly laying them on top of the writing desk. Jordie lays Jamie down and leaves the trash can from the bathroom at the bedside just in case.

Jamie passes out and wakes up a couple of hours later with a huge hangover. Jordie had already left for breakfast. He left Jamie with a 32-ounce Gatorade, a small bottle of ibuprofen, and note that reads, “Talk to Tyler.”

Jamie crumples up the note and chucks it across the room in anger, grumbles while extracting 4 tablets out of the ibuprofen bottle. He pops the pills in his mouth and chugs them down with the Gatorade. He dresses in the clothes from last night.

Jamie returns to the room he was supposed to share with Tyler. To Jamie’s relief, Tyler had also left for breakfast too. Jamie took the opportunity to shower and dress in a fresh outfit before heading down for breakfast and as much coffee as his body can tolerate.

**

The final straw for Jamie comes in a road game in San Jose. Tyler waves the card against the lock and opens the door revealing a single king-sized bed.

“Fuck!” Jamie exclaims dropping his overnight bag.

Tyler calls down to the front desk to see if there was another double room. Apparently, the hotel had overbooked their double rooms so Tyler and Jamie had gotten upgraded to a King bed with a jacuzzi bathtub. He thanks the front desk clerk, hangs up the phone, and turns to Jamie.

“Looks like we’re sharing a bed. There’s enough space here we can share I think,” Tyler notes.

Jamie scrubs his face knowing he’s so fucked, “If you’re sure…”

Tyler smiles, “It’s cool, not like I haven’t shared a bed with a guy before. Same thing happened to me in juniors all the time. Our team travel agent was sadistic.”

Jamie gives in and sighs out, “Alright.” He starts unpacking his stuff on the bed stand and strips down to his boxers to slide into bed. Tyler does the same on the other side.

Jamie is harshly wakened in the middle of the night to an arm smacking him in the chest, the rest of Tyler follows snuggled into him.

“The fuck, Tyler,” Jamie yells.

Tyler wakes with a start, “Oh shit, I’m so sorry Jamie.” The look on Tyler’s face is apologetic.

Tyler moves back over to his side of the bed and falls back asleep quickly.

The alarm is the next thing that wakes Jamie up. He’s warm and feels the radiant heat of another. His arm was draped across Tyler’s chest with Tyler holding the arm. Jamie’s chest is touching Tyler’s back. The moment he becomes conscious of his position his cock swells.

Jamie feels his cock pulse unconsciously and it smacks onto one of Tyler’s butt cheeks.

“So how long have you felt that way about me, Jameson?” Tyler mumbles sleepily. He shifts to press the crack of his ass against Jamie’s cock.

Jamie whispers in Tyler’s ear, “Since you came out to me.”

Tyler rolls over and looks seriously at Jamie, “I could have had you all season on the regular and you hid that from me?”

Jamie closes his eyes and bows his head. “I… I… didn’t want to fuck things… up between…,” Jamie stammers lifting only his sad brown eyes up. Tyler shuts up Jamie with his lips.

They break the kiss and it’s Jamie’s turn to force a confession, “How long have you wanted me?”

“The day we went for a jog together and saw your big ass dick bobbing around in your shorts,” Tyler smirks. He strokes Jamie’s dick and asks, “Can I take care of this?”

Jamie smiles, “Anytime you want! Including right now.”

Tyler tugs at the elastic of Jamie’s boxers, exposing Jamie’s cock. He jacks on it a few times then slides down Jamie’s body and wraps his lips around the throbbing and thick flesh.

The blowjob from Tyler blows Jamie’s brain. He finds it hard to concentrate at breakfast.

After practice Jamie walks into Lindy’s temporary office in San Jose. “So umm, Lindy about my hotel arrangements with Tyler,” Jamie starts.

“Yeah sorry about that Jamie, we thought they had doubles for all of us,” Lindy confesses.

“No! It’s cool, really,” Jamie diffuses.

Lindy looks up, “So it finally happened? You confessed your feelings at last? Segs has been a train wreck for months thinking he couldn’t have you. I wondered why he was in a good mood at practice this morning.”

“You knew?” Jamie asks confused.

Lindy places a hand on Jamie’s shoulder, “I feel like I’ve been Segs’ counselor for weeks.”

“So, if I ask for a single bed room for Tyler and I, you won’t be shocked?” Jamie admits.

“Not at all! In fact, this snafu may have been me nudging you two together,” Lindy discloses with a wink.

Jamie stands up to leave the office when Lindy stops him, “You break his heart and I get you traded to Siberia, got it?”

Jamie smiles, “Thanks.” He leaves the office grinning and strutting to the shower; he’s taking Tyler out for their first official lunch date.


End file.
